Uttarakhand Livelihoods Improvement Project for The Himalayas (AAJEEVIKA)

Project Coverage 2 DistrictBlocks Selected UttarkashiNaugaon, Mori, Dunda and Purola TehriDevprayag, Jaunpur, Bhilagna and Pratapnagar ChamoliGhat, Dewal, Dasholi and Narayan Bagar AlmoraBhaisiachanna, Lamgara and Dhauladevi BageshwarKapkot and Bageshwar 5 Districts, 17 Blocks Households 42,690 Community Orgs 4,000 Villages years ( to ) Project Duration

Thrust areas of the project Self-Help Groups/Federations/CBOs. Capacity building Drudgery reduction and Convergence with government departments, district administrations, line departments (social welfare, agriculture, education, health, forestry, horticulture), charitable trusts, NGOs UPASaC – business ‘wheel’. Livelihood Enhancement & Development, Livelihood Support System Micro Enterprises, Small &Medium Enterprises,IGAs,nano,mino enterprises equity

Status as of date 95 % women membership in SHGs & 70% in BoD of federations > 70 % participants women in cap. bldg. activities Approx. 40 % grass root workers women. SHG Federation members started participation in Management committee meetings. 207 women SHG members elected to PRI Men helping in agri. activities and enterprises

Fruits of capacity & institution building Changes are occurring at Household level Some SHGs are moving beyond immediate mandate of savings/lending Income-generating activities SHGs coming together to challenge local bootleggers Taking active role in prohibiting open cutting of local forests, cleaning villages, fining villagers for transgressions Eager to expand into productive activities More visibility in local / regional level systems of governance: higher participation of women in Panchayat meetings, articulate their demands Confidence to engage with district-level officials

Drudgery reduction activities undertaken Improved tools (lighter) Plastic water pitchers Cattle troughs Training of bullocks for cartage Vermi-composting Fast-growing grasses Smokeless chullahs (stoves)

Drudgery reduction interventions: Particulars UnitCumulative Improved Agriculture Tools DemonstratedNo ReplicatedNo.6283 (39.6%) Vermi Compost DemonstratedNo ReplicatedNo.6364 (47.55%) Improved fodder grass/napier grass Demonstrated lakh tufts Replicated lakh tufts (124%) Light Water Pitcher DemonstratedNo. 107 (Samridhi Ghada)Replicated No Bullocks Trained for drudgery reduction ReplicatedNo. 259 Cattle trough DemonstratedNo Replicated No. 322 (14%)

Improved water pitchers

DRUDGERY REDUCTION INITIATIVES: PLANTATION OF NAPIER GRASS

LOCAL MARKET INITIATIVES TAKEN BY THE PROJECT DRUDGERY REDUCTION INITIATIVES: TRAINED BULLOCK

DRUDGERY REDUCTION INITIATIVES: CONSTRUCTION OF PAKKA VERMI COMPOST PIT

Drudgery reduction through threshers 8 hrs saved per HH per quintal threshed produce.

Impacts Interventions meet very real practical needs for women Income-generation activities initiated Evidence of reducing drudgery of women Time saved directed to SHG meetings, childcare, women’s needs

Convergences innovative ways of pooling resources work on ‘second generation’ concerns (e.g. sanitation) Working with most invisible of vulnerable groups (elderly, widows, mentally & physically disabled) Offers access to critical resources unavailable elsewhere (health camps…)

CONVERGENCE EFFORTS: SOCIAL WELFARE CAMPS

DISTRIBUTION OF KUROILER CHICKS

Livelihood promotion connects SHGs with financial institutions to establish cash credit limits (CCLs) identifies potentially viable sub-sectors Linking HHs to financial resources Training women with marketable skills (e.g. weaving) Encouraging people to think beyond immediate, short- term

Implementation mechanism required for promoting GM Gender focal points at PMU and district level. Review of GM status at least half yearly Expert inputs from time to time to strengthen GM.

Has income from agriculture increased due to the project?

Food security in the last 12 months

Status of participation of the poorest in Gram Panchayat meetings

Fodder from forest

Fodder from private lands

Participation in Van Panchayat decision-making

Status of informal or institutional credit facilities

Status of members’ participation in SHG Decision-Making

Status of participation of women (in SHGs) in Gram Sabha Meetings

13 Status of access to credit for household (minor) consumption needs

14 Access to credit for MAJOR needs (Health, Education, Durable assets, etc.; e.g., > Rs. 5000)

15 Capacity Building: general (e.g., training for group activities, record keeping, etc.)

Capacity Building for SHG Members: income generation activities

Status of awareness about women’s health

Improvement in living environment (health, light, etc.) & reduction in drudgery (time and effort)

Status of women’s empowerment: decision-making eg., Participation in meetings, labour and money management